Anderson condemns British air strikes

Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson speaking from Cyprus today has unreservedly condemned the British air strikes which took place from the RAF British Military base Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Speaking after she voiced her grave concerns and opposition to these indiscriminate airstrikes, Ms Anderson stated: “Four Tornados were immediately dispatched from the Cypriot Air Base on the outcome of the House of Commons Vote. Each aircraft was carrying three 500lb Paveway bombs. Therefore, 12 bombs were dropped into Syria.

Moreover, it was further announced that eight more jets- two Tornados and six Typhoons- were being sent to join the eight existing jets at the Akrotiti base.

“David Cameron talks of “terrorist sympathiser’s” as some form of distorted moral rationale for bombing innocent civilians. However, the International community is well aware of the state sponsored terrorism, appalling Human Rights violations and collusion which the British Government systematically embarked on in the North of Ireland.

“Furthermore, the three recent wars undertaken by the British Government against Muslim States in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, have all resulted in devastation and disastrous human catastrophes for the civilians of these countries.

Ms Anderson concluded: “This is not the time for engaging in the politics of fear or politics of the lowest common denominator.

“The human, social and economic destruction that these attacks will cause is shattering. Whenever political leaders contemplate aggressive military action, it is incumbent upon them - indeed, upon us all - to weigh the human consequences of these decisions.

“There can be no dispute that civilians in Syria have suffered profound deprivation and hardship as a result of the four-year-civil war in Syria, which has killed 250,000 people and driven 11 million people from their homes.

“All political and diplomatic resources in the UN and EU must be used to promote a peaceful solution.”